Switch heater



Jufiy 23 193 5 W. McK. WHITE ET AL, 3 9

SWITCH HEATER Filed Jan, 29, 1951 supporting brackets 8, 9, and 11; and a pro- Patented July 3, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SWITCH William McK. White HEATER and Morris R. Elliott,

4 Claims.

'Our invention relates to oil burning heaters and especially to railroad switch heaters.

The principal object of our invention is to provide a railroad switch heater of an improved type to remove or prevent the accumulation of snow and ice around a railroad switch.

Another object of the invention is to provide an oil burning railroad switch heater which includes an oil burner located intermediate the extremities of the heat conductor pipes.

A third object of the invention is to provide an oil burning railroad switch heater which includes an improved heat generator and a protective hood for the latter.

Other objects of the invention are mentioned and described herein.

An embodiment of our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view of a railroad track switch equipment to which our improved heater is applied;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section in side elevation through the heat generator on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on line 3-8 of Fig. 1 with the switch rail omitted;

Fig. 4 is a sectional fragmental view illustrating the connection between one of the heat conductor pipes and the combustion chamber of the heater; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective of the heater generator hood.

Similar numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views on the drawing.

Referring now to the details of the drawing it will be apparent that our improved switch heater comprises generally a T shaped hollow combustion chamber element 1; an atomizing burner 2 mounted in the wall of said combustion chamber element; a pair of flame or heat conductor pipes 3 and 4 connected with the opposed flame outlets of said element 1; a pair of L shaped flame baf- ;fle members 5 and 6 secured to said flame conductor pipes to direct the flame downward into contact with the side of rail 7; conductor pipe tective hood 12 for the atomizing burner.

The heater combustion chamber element 1 is provided with a rear wall 13 into which the nozzle portion 14 of the atomizing burner 2 may be screw threaded, said rear wall being provided with one or more air inlet apertures 15 to aid combustion in the chamber 16 of element 1. The atomizing burner 2 may be provided with the outlet nozzle 17 which extends into the combustion chamber 16, said generator being provided also with a fuel oil inlet 18 and a compressed air inlet 19, both of which may be placed in communication with the outlet nozzle 17 by needle valves 20 and 21, respectively, as is well known in the Bunsen burner art.

The under side of the element 1 may be provided with an integral lug 22 to which the supporting bracket 23 may be fastened by a screw 24, the bracket 23 being adapted to be fastened to the Wood railroad tie upon which it rests. The element 1 is provided also with the two branches 25 and 26 which function as flame outlet openings for the combustion chamber 16 of the heater unit, each of said branches being provided with an enlarged socket 27 (Fig. l) adapted to receive the end of a flame conductor pipe, 3 or 4, of which pipe 4 only is illustrated, and which may be removably mounted in said branch socket by a set screw 28 mounted in said socket portion of said branch. Each of the pipes 3 and 4 is provided with a series of lateral flame or heat outlet openings 29, of any suitable number, one only being illustrated (Fig. 3) to allow the passage of the flame from said conductor pipes toward the bafile plate flange 30 and into contact with the rail '7. Both bafile elements 5 and 6 are secured to a flame conductor pipe in the same manner by a plurality of bolts 31 which traverse the conductor pipes, said fastening means including also a spacer sleeve 32 for each of said bolts, said sleeve being interposed between the depending baffle flange 30 and the conductor pipe.

As heretofore stated, the conductor pipes are carried upon a plurality of supporting brackets 8 to 11 inclusive and are removably secured thereto by the opposed jaws of the screw clamp section 33 of said brackets which is clamped about the exterior of the conductor pipe by a screw 41, the lower ends of said brackets being 5 suitably fastened to the wood ties 34, by screws 35, or otherwise. The pipe 36 is operatively connected with any suitable source of compressed air, and pipe 37 is operatively connected with the burner inlet 18 and connected with any suitable source of fuel oil supply, either kerosene or distillate.

The burner hood 12 is hingedly mounted above the burner 2 to protect the latter from the elements and may have its opposed trunnion elements 38 and 39 suitably pivoted to the exterior of the element 1 at 40 and 41, respectively, to enable said hood to be swung in a vertical plane.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that flame created by the burner 2 within the combustion chamber 16 of the T fitting 1 will be blown through said fitting outlets 25 and 26 in opposite directions into the conductor pipes 3 and 4 and discharged laterally therefrom through the outlet openings 29 into ultimate contact with the rail '7 of the switch unit, whereby ice and snow accumulation thereabout is effectually prevented.

To direct the passage of flame and heat through the conductor pipe lateral openings 29 each pipe 3 and 4 is provided with an outer end cap 43 to effectually close said pipes.

We claim:

1. In a device for imparting heat to railroad switch rails mounted upon ties, an atomizing burner provided with a combustion chamber, a pair of perforated flame conductor pipes connected with said burner combustion chamber on opposite sides thereof, a battle element carried by each flame conductor pipe to direct heat against the switch rail, and means for supporting said conductor pipes and the burner and to dispose the flame conductor pipes substantially parallel with and adjacent to the switch rail and above and transversely of the rail ties.

2. In a device for imparting heat to railroad switch rails mounted upon ties, an atomizing burner provided with a combustion chamber, a pair of perforated flame conductor pipes connected with said burner combustion chamber on opposite sides thereof, a bafiie element carried by each flame conductor pipe, extending longitudinally thereof and arranged to direct heat from said pipe perforations downward, and

means for supporting said conductor pipes and the burner and to arrange said flame conductor pipes substantially parallel with and adjacent to the switch rail and above and transversely of the rail ties.

3. In a device for imparting heat to railroad switch rails mounted upon ties, an atomizing burner provided with a combustion chamber, the latter being provided with opposed flame outlet openings, a perforated flame conductor pipe for each of said combustion chamber outlet openings, fastener members for removably securing said conductor pipes in said combustion chamber outlet openings, and means for supporting said flame conductor pipes substantially parallel with and adjacent the switch rail and above the rail ties.

4. In a device for imparting heat to railroad switch rails mounted upon ties, an atomizing burner provided with a combustion chamber, the latter being provided with opposed flame outlet openings, a perforated flame conductor pipe for each of said combustion chamber outlet openings, screw fastener members for removably securing said conductor pipes in said combustion chamber outlet openings, and supporting brackets mounted upon the rail ties for supporting said flame conductor pipes substantially parallel with and adjacent to the switch rail and above said rail ties.

WILLIAM McK. WHITE. MORRIS R. ELLIOTT. 

